What is 5G?
5G simply means the 5th Generation of wireless mobile connectivity. 1G started this off in the early 1990's, being the 1st Generation. This was was expanded upon with 2G enabling the mobile users to send text messages to one another. Then we got 3G, this revolutionised the mobile market as it also allowed for the user to browse the internet on the go. Currently we have 4G which has made what was once impossible on 3G a daily practice. With 4G we can download, stream and even upload large video easily. Long term evolution, LTE, followed making the already fast 4G even faster. 5G is set to follow suit. 3D and Ultra HD, 4K, video with ease. Gizmodo.com have stated 'Just imagine upgrading your data connection from a garden hose to a fire hose. The difference will be noticeable.'
Is 5G really that much faster and better than 4G?
Yes. A 1080p, full HD movie can be downloaded in just under 10 minutes on 4G, whereas on 5G this can be done within 10 seconds. 5G will also increase download speeds to 10 Gbps, making it 43x faster than the average UK internet speed. 4G, meanwhile, is around half as fast as the average UK internet speed.
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What is going to change?
5G will enable a fully connected and mobile society, 5G.co.uk state that for a network connection to be classed as 5G it must have '100% coverage' and '90% reduction in network energy usage'.
Online multiplayer gaming will have less lag (latency) enhancing the gaming experience, virtual and augmented reality will also provide a more 'immersive gaming or movie experience'. 5G.co.uk have stated that 'a spectator at a football stadium will be able to watch a live stream of an alternative camera angle at the same time it is happening on the pitch.'
What does this mean for me?
With 5G reaching speeds of 10 Gigabits per second, or 1.2 Gigabytes per second, and 1 millisecond latency, the user has the perception of limitless bandwidth wherever they are.
• Video streaming will now mean no more buffering wheel.
• No more 'lag' (latency) in online video games.
• Power heavy - meaning that devices that use this technology will have to have bigger batteries.
• More devices than ever before will be able to connect with other users experiencing slower connectivity
• The average Full HD Movie (1080p) size is 7 - 8 GB, Gigabytes, meaning top speed 5G can download this in 5.8 - 6.6 seconds. To put this in perspective, one of the biggest video game file size is Grand theft Auto V, coming in at 66 GB. This will be downloaded in 52 seconds. The full Adobe create cloud suite is 9.95 GB which will be downloaded in 8.2 seconds.
Car-to-car communication
Car-to-car communication, or Vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V), is new technology that has life saving capabilities. This is done through cars, essentially, talking to each other alerting other cars of its speed and whereabouts.
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